Megger’s Article Response Essay Example for Free

Megger’s Article Response Essay Betty J. Meggers article, Environmental Limitation on the Development of Culture, examines how environmental habitats directly affect and influence culture. Meggers discusses the differing environmental types and its resulting effect on the people and their cultural development. Her theoretical framework is grounded on the idea that the relationship between culture and its environment is not only based in terms of subsistence (802), but largely to a culture’s experience with diffusion (822). Diffusion can best be defined as a process in which a cultural trait, idea, or behavior is spread from one society to another. While she does believe that the relative strength or weakness of an environment to provide a suitable means for food production affects the adaptation and advancement of a culture, she also believes that cultural diffusion plays a vital role as well. According to Meggers, the general belief is that environmental potentiality is the sole conditioner of cultural development (801). The span of environmental habitats into classified into 4 environmental types, ranging from Type 1 environments, which have the least agricultural potential, to Type 4 environments, which have unlimited agricultural potential. Meggers does generally seem to agree that the environmental type can set limitations on the level of development a culture is able to obtain (816). Because Type 1 environments have the least agricultural potential, tribes must subsist mainly by hunting, fishing, and gathering. Cultures that live in Type 1 environments are relatively small in population size and tend to lead more of a nomadic lifestyle, a necessary part of life because they must continually follow their food source. As a result, their existence is noticeably simplistic because their primary focus is on satisfying only their very basic needs such as shelter and food. This type of environment results in a culture where social organization and technology is very limited in scope. The nomadic lifestyle necessitates that tribes remain relatively small, therefore making the single family the basic social unit. Additionally, technology remains limited to only the most essential tools and utensils due to the limited resources available. According to Meggers, Type 1 and Type 2 environments seem to prohibit cultural advancement because of the limitations imposed on a culture by the environment and the general lack of a suitable source of diffusion. Conversely, Type 4 environments have unlimited agricultural potential because they possess all the ideal conditions necessary for sustaining agriculture. Meggers calls Type 4 environments the â€Å"cradles of civilization† (804) because of their ability to develop and implement the technology necessary to sustain an agriculturally based lifestyle. Type 4 environments are typified by their complex social organization and cultural advancements. Meggers states that Type 4 civilizations are elaborate due to their intensive production of food and the necessary means of distribution. However, Meggers also believes that success of Type 3 and Type 4 environments to advance culturally is also heavily influenced by diffusion across cultures, or a cultures relative exposure and adoption of differing cultural norms, beliefs, and behaviors.

Joseph Stalin :: essays research papers

JOSEPH STALIN: TYRANT OF STEEL Iosef Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili (a.k.a. Joseph Stalin), was the undisputed leader of the Soviet Union from 1929 to 1953. Although Stalin’s reign in power did not begin immediately his contribution to government began in 1912, and from then on he slowly rose to the high chain of command. Stalin’s long and troublesome road to absolute power had many steps that marked important events in the Soviet Union’s condition but they did not always improve the life of his people. Stalin’s first position in government began in 1898 when he joined a secret Marxist revolutionary group and became involved in many demonstrations. In 1901 Stalin began writing for the Brdzola which published many of his revolutionary articles and ideas. At the end of 1901, he was formally accepted into the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party. Between the years of 1902 and 1913 Stalin was arrested and exiled many times for countless crimes and as a result in 1907 he was expelled from the Social Democratic Labor Party. However, his luck changed in 1912 when Lenin appointed Stalin to the Bolshevik Central Committee. In addition, he was given various commands and was appointed to the position of people’s commissar for nationalities. After proving himself at this position, he was assigned the position of commissar of workers’ and peasants’ inspection. He finally gained the power he desired most in 1922, when he became general secretary of the Central Committee. With this position Stalin was able to control appointments, set agendas, and transfer officials and increase his own power. When Lenin died in 1924, Stalin used the current power he attained and crushed his opponents to become the dictator in 1929. Stalin used his new authority to try and make the Soviet Union a world power so that no enemies could destroy his nation. When he first took over, he began a series of five-year plans. The first plan was to industrialize the country, however, the production of machinery and farm equipment became more important than the production of household items and necessities such as clothing and food. Secondly, Stalin wanted to use collectivization to increase the production of agricultural products and to end private farming. Stalin also decided to transfer the control of the farms to the government, and as a result, caused a severe resistance in the peasant class especially the kulaks. The measures taken by Stalin to discipline those who opposed his authority were either exiled, or executed as well as a great famine killed 10 million peasants (1932-33).

Philosophy Assignment Essay

Philosophy Creative Assignment: Anticipating possible negative consequences or weaknesses of the proposed political system In the leadership of any political system, there will always be possible weaknesses. Therefore, it is necessary to anticipate these possible weaknesses or problems and try to correct them as much as possible. Concerning our proposed political system, which is aristocracy, several flaws or negative consequences may arise. Firstly, the leaders are divorced from the society of Springfield and they may not know what the people of Springfield actually need. The leaders are given absolute authority in running the society because only rulers have been identified as competent rulers who have passed all tests and undergone relevant training. However, as these leaders make governmental policies, they may fail to take into consideration what the people really need, especially since the people of the other classes, the laborer and the warrior classes, cannot challenge these leaders’ administration. To mitigate the negative effects of this problem, changes can be made to the proposed political system in the long term. A biannual meeting session between the leaders and selected people of the other classes can be introduced, whereby these people can raise their needs and concerns. That way, the leaders will know some, if not most or all of the major concerns and needs of the citizens of Springfield through the session, and this will go a long way in helping the leaders craft their governmental policies to address the needs of the citizens of Springfield. Another possible negative consequence which may arise from the proposed political system is that there will be no upward social mobility for the people of Springfield. Due to aristocracy, the people will be grouped into either one of the three different classes, the rulers, the warriors and the laborers. Once the people are grouped into their respective classes, there is no way for these people to make a switch in their roles, and this means the warriors and laborers are unable to rise in status and income no matter what. As these people will not enjoy any upward movement of the socio-economic ladder despite the effort they put into their jobs, unhappiness may become rife and many of the people who are reward-driven may produce slipshod work. All these will eventually lead to undesirable consequences, such as low productivity of the people. To tackle this possible negative consequence, the proposed political system (aristocracy) can be modified to allow people of the warrior and laborer classes to freely choose their roles and switch their roles, but with valid reasons (permanent injury to a warrior etc.). This way, the people of Springfield will be more contented with their roles since the roles they choose would suit their preferences and needs. Thus, the possibility of unhappiness among the people is minimized and productivity of the people will be maintained or even increase. Furthermore, as society progresses, the people of Springfield would be happy and contented and would not hesitate to put in their utmost effort into their roles to ensure that Springfield continues to prosper in the future. Word count: 498 words.

exploring rhetorical modes 2 Essays - 739 Words

University of Phoenix Material Exploring Rhetorical Modes Rhetorical Modes Worksheet Chart Complete the following worksheet on rhetorical modes for academic essays using the information shared in â€Å"Use Effective Methods of Development† in The Everyday Writer Plus. Rhetorical Mode Explain in your own words (using complete sentences) when a writer would use this mode. Narrative Narrative is telling a story to someone with a lot of detail. Description Description writing paints a picture with vivid details. Definition Definition is defining a word or concept. Process Process is when you write something in a certain order, like a timeline. Problem and solution Problem and solution gives a detailed plan on how the problem can be†¦show more content†¦Complete the following chart using your selected rhetorical mode in order to narrow down a topic and create a clear path to Week 2 assignments. Question: Your response, in at least 25 words using complete sentences: Which rhetorical mode (comparison and contrast, cause and effect, and persuasive) are you using for your essay? Why? I chose to do cause and effect for my essay. I think it will fit best with the topic I chose- The effect domestic violence has on children. In your own words, define the mode you chose. Cause and effect is more descriptive in my opinion. Also shows readers just like it says the cause and effect of a topic. How is an essay for this rhetorical mode organized (i.e. what does it include, etc.)? You would have the cause first than show the effect with tons of detail and information. Using the examples from the chapters provided on your mode of choice, share a topic choice of your own that would work well for this mode (feel free to explore multiple topics, if desired). The effect domestic violence has on children Domestic Violence Alcoholism Why would you like to explore this topic further? I was abused and saw my siblings get abused as well. Its apart of my past so I would like to explore this topic further. In order to narrow it down properly, discuss what aspect of this topic will you focus on (i.e. what specifically would you like your readers to learn from your essay)? I want them to learnShow MoreRelatedThe Main Characteristics Of Emerson s Ideal Education1044 Words   |  5 Pagesare two main factors that must be balanced in education. The two facts are â€Å"Genius and Drill.† Emerson thinks in an ideal educational setting students will be rewarded for exploring new material. Drill is needed to balance the student. In order to maximize the learning of the student they must follow certain rules of society. 2. Emerson gives ideas that would be extraordinarily helpful for a child’s first teacher. When a child enters school for the first time they are very nervous. 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This essay begins by discussing and exploring the premises of an analysis of creativity at text level following a textual approach to literacy and creativity; assessing the extent to which it is effective in identify creativity in literacy practices such as diaries, letters and graffiti. HoweverRead More Virginia Woolfs Jacobs Room - Jacob Flanders, Many Things to Many Readers4383 Words   |  18 Pagesone-to-one mimetic method of conventional Victorian and Edwardian realism. Uniquely self-conscious and conscious of self, Woolf was attracted to exploring new modes of characterization, fictional consciousness, and epistemology. She is especially interested in exploring the nature, communication, and limits of fictional knowledge. Woolfs idiosyncratic mode of characterization in Jacobs Room is the epistemological complement in fiction to Eliots formula for emotional expression in poetry, the objectiveRead More The Primacy of Poetry: On Tita Chico’s The Arts of Beauty: Womenâ⠂¬â„¢s Cosmetics and Pope’s Ekphrasis1812 Words   |  8 Pagesanchor the origins of her argument, but she immediately addresses their respective limitations. She gently criticizes other scholars for privileging the purely social aspects of Rape, thereby neglecting the implications of Pope’s aesthetic form. Exploring poetic form with particular attention to ekphrastic representation and the mock-epic genre enables Chico to extrapolate social significance and assert that aesthetic choice signifies Pope’s concern regarding the inherent value of different arts.Read MoreCard 405- Rough Draft Portfolio1921 Words   |  8 Pages Education 1. 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